Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A thought on Edna Lewis
I was looking at the picture of her that I use as this project's muse and it struck me how beautiful she was, how soulful and all knowing she seems to have been. So often as women in this industry we feel the need to deny our femininity to be taken seriously, don the whites and play like the boys, but it occurs to me that we miss something. I'm not saying women should sex up the uniform or start piling on makeup in the kitchen (femininity is much more than aesthetic anyway), I'm just saying that when I see her picture I'm immediately reminded of womanhood in this work and how it doesn't have to be lost or considered a liability, but more how it can strengthen of our points of reference.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Manefesto!!!
Has it ever occurred to you that there really isn’t a soulful or substantive analysis of black people in the culinary world? While I am the first to be proud of our inclusion in this field as a given and of the fact that race has little to do with our ability as black people to bring culinary fire wherever and however we like, it occurs to me that it’s dangerous not to look back and pay homage to the fact that that hasn’t always been the case.
I feel a sense of responsibility as black culinary professional, being blessed with the ability to freely and profitably lay down my mark on this industry, to in some way put something meaningful back out into the universe for my little sisters and brothers to be inspired by. My idea is pretty simple. We all have verbal family history which has been passed down though great meals and stories from parents and grandparents. I’m sure you’ve felt as starved for pockets of inspiration as I have so you’ve looked to whatever information you could find on chefs like Leah Chase or Jefferson Evans and the books you could ferret out by visionaries like Edna Lewis, but what I’m talking about is a reference point for all these things in a clear and concise format; as a staring point for our predecessors.
What I want is to compile in depth interviews with interesting chefs who are doing great work. I want to know about your background, culinary point of view, and where you draw inspiration from. Once I compile enough insight I want to layer these thoughts and observations with a rolling and robust history of our emergence in this industry from slavery to now weaving in pictures, poetry, and recipes. The staring point is you. I hope you'll share information with me and keep current with the information I put out because again this project is for all of us!!!
I feel a sense of responsibility as black culinary professional, being blessed with the ability to freely and profitably lay down my mark on this industry, to in some way put something meaningful back out into the universe for my little sisters and brothers to be inspired by. My idea is pretty simple. We all have verbal family history which has been passed down though great meals and stories from parents and grandparents. I’m sure you’ve felt as starved for pockets of inspiration as I have so you’ve looked to whatever information you could find on chefs like Leah Chase or Jefferson Evans and the books you could ferret out by visionaries like Edna Lewis, but what I’m talking about is a reference point for all these things in a clear and concise format; as a staring point for our predecessors.
What I want is to compile in depth interviews with interesting chefs who are doing great work. I want to know about your background, culinary point of view, and where you draw inspiration from. Once I compile enough insight I want to layer these thoughts and observations with a rolling and robust history of our emergence in this industry from slavery to now weaving in pictures, poetry, and recipes. The staring point is you. I hope you'll share information with me and keep current with the information I put out because again this project is for all of us!!!
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